Washington Capitals – Nashville Predators – 2:3
Before facing Nashville, Washington recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the farm club, inserting him into the action from the opening minutes. The 28-year-old netminder was stepping onto the world’s top league for the season’s third time, taking part in his third NHL appearance overall.
The opening moments were difficult for the Capitals. In the third minute, Luke Evangelista retrieved a loose puck from the far corner and fired toward the home goal. Just over three minutes later, Roman Josi redirected Gustav Nyquist’s feed with a wrist shot on the power play, giving Nashville an early lead.
What started with optimism for the Predators soon cooled as Stefan Carbery’s squad pressed, forcing Yaroslav Askarov to defend a growing number of shots. The 21-year-old Russian rookie was in his third NHL game, his second start of the season, and his first at home.
Beck Malensteen opened the scoring for Nashville in the 11th minute, and late in the second period, Alexander Ovechkin executed his signature finish from the left faceoff circle after a pass from Dylan Strome.
That goal marked the Capitals captain’s seventh of the season and brought his career regular-season total to 829, leaving him just 65 away from Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record for goals in the category.
Alexander the Great looked poised to steer Washington to a regulation win when he cut in from the right and buried another precise shot just under a minute before the end of the third. The Caps celebrated a potential decisive goal, yet the moment carried a twist.
In a notable sequence, Predators coach Andrew Esmer set up a screen in front of the visiting goaltender, Nic Dowd sliding across and making contact with the goalie’s pad before a pass found Ovechkin. Officials reviewed the play, but ultimately it stood as a goal, a decision that would later be cited in discussions about the game’s officiating.
Overtime did not produce a winner, and the shootout went to the visitors. Evgeny Kuznetsov opened Washington’s attempt, ending a personal drought of nine straight games without a goal. He moved with his characteristic measured pace, but Askarov read the shot and kept it out.
Ovechkin was unable to convert on his second try, though the shot itself was well placed. The goaltender made a key save, denying another chance to the Capitals’ captain on a late-season trial for more goals.
Nashville finished strong in the shootout, converting both attempts, and earned what was effectively a first NHL win for Askarov, who had been a high draft pick in 2020. The Capitals suffered a fourth consecutive defeat, extending a run that included a pair of losses beyond regulation time.
Tampa Bay Lightning – New York Rangers – 1:5
The Rangers, riding a wave of good form after a setback against Florida, continued their road swing on the southern coast against Tampa Bay. John Tortorella’s team appeared to be finding its rhythm, yet questions remained about whether it could sustain a Stanley Cup challenge or secure a playoff berth.
New York began with purpose, closing down the Tampa Bay attack and relying on solid defensive structure, with Igor Shesterkin providing a steady presence from the crease. The visitors capitalized on rare chances and converted when opportunities arose.
In a two-on-zero moment, Vincent Trocheck delivered to Artemi Panarin, who fired quickly to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy for the game’s first goal. Before the intermission, Trocheck added a second tally, setting the tone for the night.
Nikita Kucherov narrowed the gap by finishing off a play that ended with a pass from Trocheck, a move that moved him into sole second place on the scoring list for the season. Chris Kreider answered again for the Rangers, restoring the lead with another finish just 51 seconds later.
During the final period, Trocheck’s third assist led to Panarin’s second goal, followed by a second hat-trick of the season for the Russian superstar, achieved without a helper from Vincent Trocheck on that particular play.
The Rangers carried momentum to claim six wins in their last eight outings, moving them to the top spot in the league standings, while the Lightning dropped to a second straight loss after a streak of three wins.
Pittsburgh Penguins – St. Louis Blues – 4:2
Pittsburgh’s 600th league assist, credited to Erik Karlsson, paired with Sidney Crosby’s 20th goal of the year to lift the Penguins past the Blues. The club extended its winning streak to five games (4-0-1) against St. Louis.
Evgeni Malkin stood out as the game’s true spark, supplying two assists and netting a power-play goal to reach 31 points on the season (14 goals, 17 assists). His all-around contribution anchored Pittsburgh’s win.
Entering the game, Pittsburgh sat seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 38 points after 34 games, two points behind the second-place wild-card position held by Washington, with comparable games played.
Other matches
Winnipeg Jets – Minnesota Wild – 4:2
Buffalo Sabres – Columbus Blue Jackets – 3:2 overtime
Boston Bruins – New Jersey Devils – 5:2
Florida Panthers – Montreal Canadiens – 4:1
Toronto Maple Leafs – Carolina Hurricanes – 2:3
Los Angeles Kings – Edmonton Oilers – 2:3 B